Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Kiss this

Weather, pollution and vandalism may take their toll…

But the artists – and the subject matter - will definitely do the rest.

„Work began Tuesday to repaint Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s passionate kiss with East German strongman Eric Honecker on the longest-surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall.“

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Logisch.

Posted by clarsonimus at 07:41:39 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Now you don’t see it, now you don’t

And still don’t, actually, the Berlin Wall, I mean. It’s time for another documentary about an invisible wall that used to be all too visible here a few years back but that was then and this is now so lights, camera and lack of action anyway.

Actress Tilda Swinton will be biking along the same ex-Berlin Wall route she and filmmaker Cynthia Beatt took ten years ago when they filmed the wall that wasn’t there then, either. This Gesamtkunstwerk (total art form) will then be put together in a piece to be called “Cycling the Invisible Frame.”

Whatever. But if I were her I would take it easier on myself and travel along what used to be the Berlin Wall on what used to be a bike – and take a car instead.

“The title refers to the fact that most of the wall has been torn down, though many Germans still speak of an invisible wall in the minds dividing east and west Germany.“

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Klar.

Posted by clarsonimus at 09:14:11 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, June 15, 2009

What do you mean this isn’t German?

Or didn’t become German legally, I mean. Cheeky Egyptian scientist types are said to be planning to attempt to prove once and for all that Berlin’s very own Nefertiti bust was somehow taken illegally out of their country by Germany, of all countries, and then try and have the bust returned to Egypt ha, ha, ha, just joking, oder (right)?

“There do not appear to be any documents that prove conclusively that Nefertiti left Egypt in a way that was legal and beyond ethical reproach. I think we have good arguments for her return,” an Egyptian antiquities expert said on Sunday.

“What was stolen from us should be returned and this includes five pieces that are unique to our culture. Nefertiti is one of these.”

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Selbstverständlich.

Posted by clarsonimus at 08:11:42 | Permalink | No Comments »

Saturday, June 13, 2009

American hassled at German airport again

Talk about your innocents abroad. At least until proven guilty, I mean. Just passing through on his way to see his sweetheart in Switzerland, an American high plains drifter got stopped by obsessive-compulsive German airport cops in Düsseldorf who promptly fined him over $600 and confiscated his suitcase just because it contained a 12 gauge shotgun, a Smith & Wesson “Long Rifle” and a combat knife. Like welcome to Germany, dude.

He didn’t know no better.

“The man told police he had alerted the airline that he would be carrying the weapons and was not aware he needed further permits.”

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Selbstverständlich.

Posted by clarsonimus at 07:19:54 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Inka B.

Beautiful German of the week.

Inka Bause

Because somebody has to admire them.

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Logisch.

Posted by clarsonimus at 08:17:23 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, June 11, 2009

My favorite children’s horror classic

But only if you read it in the bloodthirsty original German version.

Happy Birthday, Heinrich Hoffmann (Struwwelpeter’s author)! 200 years old? Your book doesn’t look a day over 150.

„Aber Heinrich Hoffmann war nicht nur Gelegenheitsautor, sondern auch Leichenhausaufseher, Geburtshelfer, Armenarzt und Psychiater.“

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Selbstverständlich.

Posted by clarsonimus at 08:29:20 | Permalink | No Comments »

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

More animal misbehavior

What the hell’s going here, people? Now a freakin’ rabbit dropped out of the sky and smashed into somebody’s windshield - along with the buzzard that had been, uh, transporting him.

Remember that Hitchcock flick where… No, forget that. Let’s not go there, not just yet.

„Durch den Aufprall wurde der glücklose Jäger getötet. Ob der Hase zum Zeitpunkt des Aufpralls bereits tot war oder an den Unfallfolgen verstarb, wird wohl ungeklärt bleiben.“

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Klaro.

Posted by clarsonimus at 09:35:47 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Bad dog!


Posted by clarsonimus at 09:03:03 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, June 8, 2009

Dr. Death and his willing helpers


This is how far we’ve come now: While a group of Lutheran ministers in Berlin protest against what is sure to be (has to be) the highly artistic staging of %100 guaranteed grade A dead bodies at Gunther von Hagen’s Body Worlds travelling entertainment show (some call him Dr. Death, by the way), a group of about 50 people who are just dying to leave their bodies to him are counter-demonstrating.

As I’ve said before, I don’t get this. I’m obviously out of touch here because I feel this is about as no-brainer as you can get. How should I put it? I would expect a show like this at a Nazi death camp, but not anywhere else, and certainly not here and not now. But I’m obviously missing something here – and I don’t even want to know what it is.

“Wo man Verstorbene vorführt, lächerlich und zur Marionette macht, da macht man das auch mit den Lebenden. Körperwelten ist eine schamlose Verführung.”

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Logisch.

Posted by clarsonimus at 10:40:00 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Saturday, June 6, 2009

I’ve suspected he has German roots all this time, too

No sooner has President Obama left Germany for France on his whirlwind tour thingy than somewhat scientific research has come to light indicating that his eighth great-grandfather, Conrad Wolflin, served as a mayor in a place called Orsingen, Germany (he was a German, in other words).

I don’t know what or even if this means anything, but still. And I suspect we’ll have the French connection sometime within the next 48 hours, too.

“Dieses Gefühl hat nun eine wissenschaftliche Fundierung.“

Kommentare auf Deutsch? Selbstverständlich.

Posted by clarsonimus at 08:04:16 | Permalink | Comments (2)